This invention relates to a clutch brake assembly for transmitting torque produced by a rotary machine serving as a driver such as a stepping motor to the rotary part of a driven machine to drive the latter, and more particularly to a clutch brake assembly which is capable of stopping the rotation of the rotary part of the driven machine instantly upon interruption of the torque transmission.
Clutch brake devices in general include a type which is disclosed e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,191 and which has a first friction element provided on the clutch side and a second friction element provided on the brake side, wherein the first friction element acts to cause torque transmission and the second friction element acts as a brake when the torque transmission action is interrupted, or a type which is disclosed e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,233,709 and which further includes a friction plate interposed between a friction element on the clutch side and another friction element on the brake side, wherein the friction plate has one side surface arranged for frictional engagement with the clutch-side friction element and the other side surface for frictional engagement with the brake-side friction element, thus to perform torque transmission action and braking upon interruption of the torque transmission action.
However, the above-mentioned conventional types both have difficulties in reducting the axial lengths of the whole clutch brake assemblies and therefore the conventional devices of these types virtually suffer rather large axial lengths.
This large axial length of these conventional clutch brake assemblies also has an unfavorable influence upon machines in which the assemblies are installed, such as electronic computers and peripheral equipment connected thereto, providing difficulties in compacting these machines.